The starter means of the present invention is intended to be used with a stack of product sheets of the type taught in U.S. Pat. 1,381,307 in the name of David W. Hudson, issued June 14, 1921. This reference teaches a stack of product sheets comprising first and second continuous webs of sheets interfolded to form the stack. The product sheets of each of the webs are defined by lines of perforations extending transversely of the web. The first and second webs are brought together in face-to-face relationship with the lines of perforations of the first web being located midway between the lines of perforations of the second web, and vice versa. The first and second webs are then folded to form a stack. Each web is folded both at the midpoints of its product sheets and at its lines of perforations, with the result that the product sheets of the first and second webs are, in essence, interleaved. Thus the first product sheet of the first web constitutes the topmost product sheet of the stack and both overlies and underlies the first half of the first product sheet of the second web. The first product sheet of the second web overlies the second half of the first product sheet of the first web and underlies the first half of the second product sheet of the first web. This general relationship is repeated throughout the stack of sheets and as a consequence, as the product sheets are dispensed from the stack, they will be dispensed alternately from the first and second webs of the stack.
The present invention is also intended for use with a dispensing package of the type having a restrictive dispensing orifice. As used herein and in the claims, the phrase "restrictive dispensing orifice" refers to a dispensing orifice of such size that the topmost product sheet of the stack contained within the package cannot be grasped by the fingers of the consumer through the dispensing orifice. While not intended to be so limited, for purposes of an exemplary showing, the starter means of the present invention will be described in its application to a package of the type taught in the commonly owned U.S. Letters Pat. No. 4,138,034 in the name of Robert F. McCarthy, issued Feb. 5, 1979, and in commonly owned copending design application Ser. No. 777,492, filed Mar. 11, 1977, in the names of Robert F. McCarthy and Price D. Carter and entitled DISPENSOR PACKAGE.
The choice of pop-up dispensing packages of the type taught in the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,034, for purposes of an exemplary showing, is made for two reasons. First of all, such packages are provided with dispensing orifices which are excellent examples of restrictive dispensing orifices to which the present application is directed. Secondly, such packages are intended to contain pre-moistened product sheets and are not intended to have their cover members removed, so that the provision of a starter means and the reliability of the pop-up type dispensing are of particular importance.
Briefly, the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,034 and copending application teach moisture-proof packages of pre-moistened product sheets, each package being provided with a dispensing opening so dimensioned as to enable twice the cross sectional area of a pre-moistened product sheet (i.e. two pre-moistened product sheets is tightly gathered form) to pass therethrough without such undue friction as would cause the product sheets to jam, tear or separate before the next succeeding product sheet is presented for subsequent removal. The succeeding product sheet not only is presented for subsequent removal, but also serves in the meantime as a plug for the dispensing opening, minimizing evaporation of the volatile composition with which the product sheets have been pre-moistened and preventing contamination of the remaining product sheets within the package. No additional closure or lid is required to be closed by the consumer to prevent dry-out or contamination.
The broad concept of the provision of a starter sheet is not, in and of itself, new. U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,676, in the names of Reinhardt N. Sabee, Harold V. Rutkus and Charles J. Greiner, issued Sept. 4, 1956, teaches the provision of a starter sheet for a pop-up type dispensing package for tissue. The package is provided with a long, narrow dispensing slot. The starter sheet is configured to provide an edge at the position of the dispensing slot which may be readily grasped by the consumer. Commonly owned copending application Ser. No. 780,697 in the names of Kent R. Wahl and Robert Harm, entitled STARTER MEANS AND METHOD FOR A POP-UP TYPE DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR INTERLEAVED PRE-MOISTENED SHEETS, teaches a starter sheet now abandoned in favor of continuation application Ser. No. 951,328, filed Oct. 16, 1978 in the name of the same inventors and under the same title, for a pop-up dispensing package of the type contemplated by the present application, but containing a stack of discrete, interleaved product sheets or a single, continuous, web of product sheets in roll form.